Accessibility, Equity and Efficiency

Challenges for Transport and Public Services

NECTAR Series on Transportation and Communications Networks Research

Edited by Karst T. Geurs, Professor of Transport Planning, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Twente, the Netherlands, Roberto Patuelli, Department of Economics, University of Bologna, Italy and Tomaz Ponce Dentinho, Professor of Regional, Environmental and Agricultural Economics, University of the Azores, Portugal

Accessibility models not only help to explain spatial and transport developments in developed and developing countries but also are powerful tools to explain the equity and efficiency impacts of urban and transport policies and projects. In this book, leading researchers from around the world show the importance of accessibility in contemporary issues such as rural depopulation, investments in public services and public transport and transport infrastructure investments in Europe.

‘This book uses the powerful lens of accessibility analysis to answer questions in spatial development, travel behavior, facilities planning, locational efficiency, metropolitan resilience, and more. Its pragmatic and empirical approach – and its bringing together of leading accessibility scholars into a single volume – make it an invaluable reference for scholars and policymakers in the areas of transportation, land use, and public-service provision.’
– Jonathan Levine, University of Michigan, US

‘Efficiency and equity are key issues in accessibility studies. Infrastructure investment should be as economically efficient as possible while ensuring a basic level of accessibility for all social groups and territories. This book is set within the complex relationship between efficiency and equity, providing a number of contributions that reveal the importance of accessibility on regional growth, access to services, house prices, modal choice and transport policies. The authors of these chapters are leading researchers in different disciplines making high level contributions in the field of accessibility. Without a doubt, this book will be very attractive for readers interested in accessibility and transportation.’
– Javier Gutiérrez, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain